Mast and sail connecting device.



A. W. NILSSON.

MAST AND SAIL CONNECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 16, 1912.

Patented May 5, 1914.

AWNz'Zsson hi0 @Hiozueg a I AXEL w. mtssoiv or roar WASHINGTON, new YORK.

MAST AND SAIL CGNNECTING- DEVICE.

necting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to devicesfor attaching a sail to a mast. In previous constructions this usually has been accomplished by the use of hoops which slide up and, down on the mast, and are fastened to gromets in the luff of the sail by suitable lashings. This construction manifestly makes the removal of the sail a difficult and troublesome operation. I have accordingly been led to devise my present invention, which has for its chief object to provide simple and effective means for attaching the sail to the mast, permitting the utmost freedom of movement in raising and lowering the sail without detachment of the sail yet also permitting the sail to be completely detached or released from the mast with the minimum amount of labor and trouble. To this and other ends the invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter described, and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Convenient and effective forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a portion of a mast and sail with my improved fastening devices applied. Fig. 2 shows one of the fastening devices as they appear before they are applied to the mast and attached to the sail. 3 is a detail view showing the sliding member by itself. Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4 4: of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view of a modified form of fastening device. Fig. 6 shows the sliding member which is usedv in modification shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view of a portion of a mast with one of the sliding members in place. Fig. Sis a cross section taken on line 88 of Fig. 7.

In more detail, 10 is the mast, 11 the gaft', and 12 the throat which is pivotally fastened to the gafi and which engages the slides of the mast. The sail 13 is fastened to the gafl' by means of the lacing 1 1 which passes over the gaff and through the gromets 1 5 in the head of the sail.

16 is the bolt rope which forms a binding for the luff of the sail.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 18, 1912.

Serial No. 731,686.

The mast 10 is slotted as shown at 18 (Fig. 8) Metal strips 19 conforming to the round contour of the mast are fastened to the mast by the screws 20, the strips 19 being preferably embedded so that their surface lies flush with the rest of the mast. The edges 21 ofthe strips extend partly over the slotted portion 18 of the mast to form a guideway for the sliding member 22 which will now be described. I

The sliding member 22 in its proposed form consists of a substantially hub-shaped portion 23 and a substantially cylindrical portion 2st connected by a neck portion 25, said portions having their axes extending at right angles to one another, as shown in Fig. 3. The portion '23 is made hub-shaped to conform to the curvature of the plates or strips 19. Making this member hub-shaped also allows it to slide more freely in the guideway in the mast. The portion 24 is substantially cylindrical and is adapted to cooperate with the clip 26 as shown in Fig. 2. The clip is bent inwardly as shown at 27 and has two extending wings 28. These wings are so formed that the luif line 16 will pass into the space 29 between them. An aperture 30 is formed in the clip to allow the I neck 25 of the sliding member to pass through and to permit the clip itself to swing on the upright portion 24 as a pivot.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a modified form of sliding member and clip. The portion 23 that engages in the guide way is made hubshaped as before stated, but the neck 31 tersail by the lashings 36 which pass over the edge of the clip and through gromets 37 in the lufi of the sail. The luff line, as previously explained, fits down between the sides of the clip. When all the fastenings are secured to the sail, by twisting the sliding members through an angle of 90 the hub portion 23 can be inserted bet-ween the strips 19, and on turning the sliding member back through 90 the ends of the hub shaped Patented May 5, 1914.

member 28 will engage under the strips. This is repeated with all the sliding members. It will be then seen that no amount of direct pull will free the sliding members from the guide way, but that on lowering the sail a light twist of each fastening will quickly release the sail from the mast. The modification shown in Fig. 5 is manipulated in a similar manner. In addition the sail can be attached and detached from the mast by removing the bolts 83.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a mast having a vertical guide way, and means engaging in said guide way having a head slidable vertically in said guideway and a neck projecting from the head out of the guideway; and a clip having side portions embracing the luff-line of the sail and an intermediate port-ion pivotally connected with the neck of the connecting member to swing in a horizontal plane.

3. The combination of a mast having a vertical guideway provided with overhanging edge pieces; a sail having a luff-line parallel with and adjacent to said guideway; a connecting member comprising a head slidable vertically in the guideway and retained therein by said overhanging edges; a neck extending from the head out of the guideway, and a vertical pivot-member on the outer end of the neck; and a clip having side wings embracing the luff-line of the sail and an intermediate portion encircling the aforesaid vertical pivot-member of the connecting device to swing horizontally thereon.

4. A mast and sail connecting device of the kind described, comprising a head adapted to slide vertically in a groove or guideway in a mast, a neck integrally connected at one end to the head and extending horizontally therefrom to pro ect out of the groove or guideway when the device 1s m use, a vertical pivot member integrally connected to the neck at the other or outer end of the neck, and a clip for connection with the luff of a sail, having side wings to embrace the luff and an intermediate portion bent around the said pivot member and provided with a wide aperture for the said neck to permit free pivotal movement of the clip in. a horizontal plane.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, a mast having a slot in the side thereof, a pair of strips fastened to the mast and extending partly over the aforesaid slot, to define a guide way, the out side of said strips being substantially flush with the surface of the mast, means adapted to be passed through the slot between strips and turned to secure said means in the guide way, and means cooperating with the aforesaid means for securement to a sail.

6. In a device of the class described, a

7. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a sail having a bolt rope and a gromet adjacent to the latter, a member fitted to the bolt rope, lashing extending through the gromet and embracing said member to secure the same to the sail, a v

spar having a longitudinal groove, a device freely movable in said groove longitudinally of the spar, and a pivotal connection between the said member and the said device whereby the sail can swing with respect to the spar without causing the said device to bind in the groove.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.-

AXEL W. NILSSON.

Witnesses S. S. DUNHAM, M. LAwsoN Dyna.

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commieaioner oi Patents, Washington, B. Q." 

